Master Article 14;
If you get injured on the job
Key Phrase: The Employer agrees to cooperate toward the prompt disposition of employee on-the-job injury claims. No employee will be disciplined or threatened with discipline as a result of filing an on-the-job injury report.
Solving Problems
Problem: The typical employed with get injured and be afraid top report the injury or accident. When an injury or accident does occur, you have an obligation to report it immediately to the company. A bigger problem is management will find ways to support the idea of not reporting injuries/accidents. There are financial reasons they prefer that you do not report an injury. Christmas bonus is one speculated reason. The second reason an employee will not report an accident is guilt and worry over being disciplined.
Example #1: You fall down some stairs. You initially feel some pain, but you can still move. You figure it might be the bruise and you shake it off. Worse it happens on a Friday. The weekend comes and while you have finally slow down, the pain has not. Now you realize you were hurt on the job. You can still report it, but now the question arises if you were hurt at home or on the job; because you wait till the following Monday to report your accident. Now reporting this accident much later than when the injury/accident first occurred now opens your up questions that you will need representation (management will inquire as to if you are lying about an accident).
Example #2: Your fall down the stairs and call management. The supervisor will come out to see if you are ok. I good supervisor will take you to the UPS doctor or a doctor of you own choosing (I would go to my doctor, because MY doctor is 100% percent worried about MY health). Another good supervisor, skilled in persuasion, will ask if you can still work or shake off the injury. They may perhaps play out various scenarios that don’t end well for you if you report an accident/injury. If you do decide to report the injury, they will insist you go to the UPS doctor to be seen. Or if you like, you can have them take you to an local emergency room (HOSPITAL) to be seen by the doctor.
the company doctor
If you do go to the UPS doctor, one thing that can happen, but shouldn’t is the supervisor accompanying you inside the examination room. If you go to the emergency room or your own doctor, this would not happen. THIS SHOULD not happen even with the UPS doctor. There are laws (H.I.P.A) that give you a whole set of rights. One is the privacy of consulting a doctor, especially after an injury. There is also a pamphlet available as far as privacy rules for you as a patient..
*** In both cases, you at some point need to call your shop steward (legal representation), to ensure they are informed as to your situation.
Opinion
This is the most misunderstood subject for various reasons. What is sad, is it is a simple process, but unfortunately monetary interest get in the way of following through with this simple process. If you are hurt or injured on the job, report it. It is that simple. It is a Workman’s Compensation Issue. The company has insurance and quite honestly we all try to follow the methods, but accidents/injuries do happen. A person has the right to report the injury/accident and not be harassed, intimidated, or scared to report it. In the end, some injuries are issues you may have to deal hours later or worse years down the road. Let the doctor determine the severity. Why play games with your health.
Questions, Comments, and Suggestions
The New 804: 21st Century Approach to Unionism
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